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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 16, 2006 Inside the Historical Scoiety In 1946 the Southern Oregon Historical Society was organized to save the 1883 Jackson County Courthouse in Jacksonville. The historical society now houses some 80,000 artifacts and 750,000 photographs. It operates the Historical Research Library in Medford and the Jacksonville and Children’s museums, the C.C. Beekman Bank, the Beekman House and the U.S. Hotel in Jacksonville. It also owns and operates the 37-acre, 1850s-era Hanley Farm located just outside of Jacksonville. The historical society offers educational programs for children, families and adults. The annual Children’s Heritage Fair provides a day of hands-on history activities to more than 2,500 fourth-graders from elementary schools in Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties. In addition to state-of-the-art museum exhibits and educational outreach, the historical society publishes a quarterly magazine, "Southern Oregon Heritage Today," with articles focusing on Southern Oregon’s history. The following timeline shows the history of funding for the Southern Oregon Historical Society. 1948 Voters approve a property tax levy that dedicates a maximum 25 cents for every $1,000 of assessed valuation to preserving history. 1997 The levy is folded into the permanent tax rate for Jackson County in the wake of Measure 50, allowing the county to disperse the money as it sees fit. An estimated $2.2 million is generated annually by the levy. Advertisement The county, facing shortfalls of its own, begins a steady reduction of funds to the county’s 14 historical societies over the next three years. 2000 County reduces allotment to historical societies to $1.4 million, a cut of 14 percent from the year before. 2001 The Southern Oregon Historical Society and other history groups take the county to court, arguing historical societies should receive the entire amount provided by the levy. April 2002 A Jackson County Circuit Court judge rules in the county’s favor, saying it has no obligation to provide the full amount from the levy to SOHS. June 2002 SOHS appeals the ruling to the Oregon Court of Appeals. August 2003 Jackson County commissioners cut off funding to SOHS in retaliation for failing to drop the lawsuit. September 2003 SOHS and the county hammer out a deal that provides three years of stable but steadily decreasing funding. 2007 SOHS will renegotiate its budget with the county. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Email Security Advertisement s Advertisement